China's Mealtimes — When, What, and How Chinese Eat

Mealtimes in
China are not very fixed; it depends on the individual. But with the timetables
of work and school, the common mealtimes for Chinese are usually these three: breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. Knowing when and what Chinese eat may help you have a more
"in tune" trip.

Breakfast — Simple

When Breakfast Is

Breakfast stall

7–9am

Usually children
go to school before 8 o'clock, so their breakfast time is usually around 7 o'clock.
City Chinese typically go to (office) work before 8:30 or 9 o'clock, so they usually
have breakfast between 8 and 9 o'clock. Farmers,
laborers, retailers, etc. start work at 7:30 or earlier.

Most hotels offer
breakfast between 7 and 9:30. Choose your time to have fresh breakfast outside
and you will meet different people at different times.

What's for Breakfast

For breakfast
in China, there are different styles in
different cities. The most common breakfast food is soya-bean milk,
deep-fried dough sticks, porridge, steamed stuffed buns, or rice noodles.

How Chinese Have Breakfast

Breakfast in Guangzhou

Most Chinese hurry to have
breakfast, and some of them even don't have time to sit down, but get take-out and
finish breakfast on the bus or on the way to catch the bus.

But this is different in Guangzhou. Many big
restaurants in Guangzhou offer breakfast, because the locals enjoy a long breakfast
time. They call it zaocha, (早茶 zǎochá /dzaoww-chaa/‘morning
tea'). If you are travelling Guangzhou, you can see many people in restaurants leisurely
eating and chatting, especially on weekends. They have dimsum (点心 diǎnxīn /dyen-sshin/ 'touch heart')for breakfast. Don't forget to
experience leisurely morning tea if you are visiting Guangzhou.

Lunch — Fast

When Lunch Is

12–2pm

Set meal for lunch

Lunchtime is
usually around noon, when Chinese take a break from work or classes. Lunchtime
for most Chinese is quite rushed,
but they customarily take a nap after lunch, so they usually finish lunch
quickly to have a decent siesta.

In tourist areas, people usually
go for lunch from 12– 1pm, so you can visit attractions with less crowding when most tour
groups head off to restaurants.

What's for Lunch

The menu is usually simple: noodles or rice, plus some meat and vegetables; no more than three dishes.
But if there is a business lunch or any important lunch appointment, the lunch
menu is usually richer and more varied (more like dinner).

How Chinese Have Lunch

Most people don't go far for
lunch, or to big restaurants. They usually eat at the school/company canteen,
or order take-out food. Some people bring their own lunchbox from home (cooked
in the morning) and reheat it in a microwave.

Dinner — Big

When Dinner Is

6–8pm

Dinner with soup, meat, and vegetable

Chinese usually
arrive home from work and school around 6pm. Their family prepare dinner for
them or they have to cook. Usually dinnertime is 6– 8pm.

For restaurants the
busiest time is from 7pm. Most restaurants close around 10pm. But in snack
streets, small stalls offer snacks like noodles or dumplings or barbeque till
late into the night.

What's for Dinner

Dinner has become the most important meal for many Chinese.
The dishes usually include soup, a variety of meats and vegetables, and rice. Because
dinner is a meal to enjoy with the family the food is very hearty.

How Chinese Have Dinner

Most Chinese go
home after school/work, but some go to restaurants for dinner with friends. If you go to local restaurants you will find that
people often go with several friends or families.

It's also an
interesting phenomenon that people don't leave the restaurants after dinner. They
usually spend more than 30 minutes chatting or playing games.